Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
  • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
  • H04R25/30—Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
  • H04R25/305—Self-monitoring or self-testing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
  • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
  • H04R25/658—Manufacture of housing parts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
  • H04R25/70—Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
  • H04R25/50—Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
  • H04R25/505—Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics using digital signal processing

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a hearing aid according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for producing a hearing aid according to the preamble of claim 9.
• Hearing aids are extremely complex systems. In order to meet the respective needs of the consumer, it is necessary to provide a large number of different hardware configuration variants. This results in an extremely cost-effective variety for production as well as for sales and hearing aid adaptation, for example by A large number of different device configurations have to be created in production, appropriately labeled and checked, a corresponding stockkeeping is required in sales and other procedures have to be selected when adapting the device to the individual needs of the customer, depending on the device configuration.
• the object of the present invention to solve this problem on the basis of a hearing aid of the type mentioned at the beginning.
• the peripheral units are provided with an identification unit, the output of which is operatively connected to the input of a comparison unit.
• an identification possibility storage unit is also operatively connected to the comparison unit.
• the comparison unit acts on a configuration memory unit.
• peripheral units Because at least a part, preferably all peripheral units identify themselves, and the comparison unit according to the reported identifications from the peripheral units, after comparison with several possibilities, peripheral units switch on, the existing hardware configuration saves the following notable advantages:
• the hearing aid identifies itself by using the comparison unit to determine what its configuration is with regard to peripheral units.
• Self-identification without the necessary labeling, such as on the packaging avoids the possibility of errors in production controls, in sales and in the adjustment of the hearing aids, by precluding an existing hearing aid based on a supposedly different configuration in terms of peripheral units test, deliver or adapt.
• the output of the comparison unit is operatively connected to an operating selection input on the signal processing unit.
• This enables only processing to be permitted on the signal processing unit, be it for operation as such or to be implemented already, which are also permitted in the actual system configuration.
• Operating programs that e.g. To be implemented wirelessly via a transceiver, it can be checked for admissibility with regard to the prevailing system constellation.
• the operative connection between peripheral units and the central signal processing unit is established via a bus and via interface units.
• the central digital signal processing unit is connected in terms of hardware to the peripheral units provided in each case. that must be. The more options regarding the peripheral unit are provided, the more connections have to be provided for the central signal processing unit. This number dominates more and more the necessary chip area for the signal processing unit mentioned, which is particularly disadvantageous in the miniaturization aimed at in the hearing aid sector.
• the peripheral units that can be used include: microphones etc. generally sensors, loudspeakers etc., generally actuators, further transceivers, ie wireless transmitters and / or receivers, manual selector switch units, volume control (potentiometer), read-only memory, e.g. with Processing parameters for the signal processing unit, read / write memory, eg for processing logging, etc.
• peripheral units can be largely used in audio signal components e.g. Sensors, actuators, amplifiers, filters, etc. on the one hand control components e.g. Subdivide transceivers, selector switches, memory etc.
• a first bus with first interface units for the former and a second with second interface units for the latter are now preferably used.
• the first interface units are, more preferably, constructed on the basis of at least three-wire interface units, the second on the basis of at least two-wire interface units.
• I 2 S are suitable as Three-wire interface units, or I 2 C as two-wire interface units, both offered by Philips.
• the signal processing unit / bus / peripheral units can also be connected via other interface units, e.g. via AES-3 interface units from Audio Engineering Society and / or SPI interface units from Motorola.
• the actual configuration also determines which signals are transmitted to the central signal processing unit and therefore which control parameters. If the peripheral units are automatically identified on the hearing aid according to the invention, this also opens up the possibility of automatically activating the prevailing configuration with peripheral units from a plurality of possible signal processing configurations, or e.g. to be implemented externally, e.g. via a transceiver, i.e. wireless. This also eliminates the problem that signal processing processes are implemented on a hearing aid that do not correspond to the present configuration with peripheral units.
• the hearing aid according to the invention has an output which is operatively connected to the configuration storage unit on the hearing aid.
• a method according to the invention for producing a hearing aid is distinguished by the wording of the characterizing part of claim 10. Further preferred embodiments of the manufacturing method according to the invention are specified in the further claims.
• FIG. 3 shows a preferred form of realization of the hearing device according to the invention, according to the concept of FIG. 2.
• a hearing aid comprises a central digital signal processing unit 1 with signal inputs E and signal outputs A.
• Peripheral units 3 E and 3 A are operatively connected to the signal inputs E and the signal outputs A.
• the peripheral units 3 E can, for example, be sensors, for example microphones, general acoustic / electrical transducers, or control components, for example remote control with a transceiver, program switch units, a volume adjustment unit, etc.
• the peripheral unit 3 A can are in particular actuators such as one or more electrical / mechanical or electrical / electrical output converter units. 1, at least one peripheral unit 3 E on the input side and at least one 3 A on the output side of the signal processing unit 1 is provided.
• Each of the at least two provided peripheral units 3 has an identification memory 5.
• the information stored in the identification memories 5 is in particular specific to the type of peripheral unit under consideration, e.g. for microphone type, remote control type etc.
• an identification cycle is triggered.
• the cycle unit 7 for example sequentially, all of the identification memories 5 provided are read out, and it may be determined that no units are connected to the empty connections 5 r .
• the memory contents of the identification memories 5 are fed to a comparison unit 9 via the unit 7.
• a read-only memory unit 11 all peripheral units that are possible for the signal processing unit 1 provided are noted with their associated identification marks.
• an identification note which is stored in an identification memory 5 X of the signal processing unit 1, can be compared via unit 7 and comparison unit 9 with the content which was on Read-only memory 11 is stored in its own identification memory 5 X1 and identifies this memory or its content.
• the comparison unit 9 uses the notes in the identification memories 5 to determine which of the types or types of peripheral units 3 stored in the read-only memory 11 are present at all in the present device configuration and which are not . If a signal processing unit 1 of type X and peripheral units of types M and N are provided, the device configuration with X, M, N is stored on the output side of the comparison unit in a hearing device configuration memory 15, wherein, as shown on read-only memory 11, further peripheral devices are also stored Units of type A, B, etc. would be compatible with the provided signal processing unit 1 of type X.
• the configuration memory 15 acts on the signal processing unit 1.
• a specific processing mode is activated on the signal processing unit 1, corresponding to S ⁇ , or is made possible. If the processing mode has not yet been loaded by software in the signal processing unit 1, then this can be done in the configuration memory 15 on account of the configuration recognized Load processing modes in the form of software that does not match the intended device hardware configuration. If, as shown schematically in FIG.
• a transceiver 30 is provided, via which, wirelessly, the signal processing unit 1 is implemented with the desired processing program, then an implementation via transceiver 30 becomes, as shown schematically on the switching unit 17a then prevented if the implementation attempt is made for processing that does not correspond to the configuration X, M, N.
• the output of the configuration memory unit 15 is preferably routed to an output HG A of the hearing device.
• this output is routed to the PC-supported adaptation unit 19, with which the hearing aid in its individual configuration is identified on the adaptation unit 19.
• the output HG A described on the transceiver (HG A ) can be implemented (shown in dashed lines).
• a bus arrangement 21 as well as interfaces to the units mentioned.
• an interface unit (not shown standard interfaces are preferably used, preferably simple interface units, in particular only with two or three signal lines such as, for example, and preferably I 2 c, Is interfaces, as are currently marketed by the company Philips, or AES-3 Interfaces (audio engineering society) or SPI interfaces (Motorola).
• the central signal processing unit 1 preferably comprises a signal processing part 1 a and a controller part 1 b , which controls and monitors the configuration identification via bus arrangement 21.
• FIG. 3 shows a preferred form of realization of the principle explained with reference to FIG. 2.
• the peripheral units are basically subdivided into audio signal units or components 3 AU and control units or control components 3 S , and, depending on the type in question, are treated as audio signal components or control components in pure culture or in this regard in a hybrid constellation.
• Audio components 3 AU are connected to the signal processing part 1 a of the signal processing unit 1 via a first bus 21 AÜ and (not shown) corresponding interface units. bound, while control components 3 S are connected via a second bus 21 s to the controller part 1b of the signal processing unit 1, again via corresponding interfaces.
• bus 21 AU and signal processing part 1 a differently specified interface units are preferably used than for the connection between control components 3 S , bus 21 s , and controller part 1 b .
• three-wire interface units are preferably used, preferably based on IS interface units of the aforementioned type.
• two-wire interface units are preferably used, particularly preferably on the basis of I 2 C interface units of the type mentioned above.
• Hybrid peripheral units which are involved in the audio signal processing and are controlled or vice versa, as shown in dashed lines, are each additionally connected to the corresponding preferred audio connection interfaces or control connection interfaces to the second of the buses provided.
• an actual “plug and play” modular system for hearing aids is provided, which allows the manufacturing costs to be massively reduced, the connection configuration at the central signal processing unit to be minimized, and in particular incorrect packaging, incorrect configurations, incorrect adaptations etc. largely due to human inattention turn off.

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Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (20)

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Citations (5)

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• 1998
  • 1998-11-24 DE DE59814095T patent/DE59814095D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-11-24 CN CN98814330A patent/CN1348674A/zh active Pending
  • 1998-11-24 AU AU11394/99A patent/AU766092B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-11-24 EP EP98954101A patent/EP1133897B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-11-24 JP JP2000507211A patent/JP4294856B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-11-24 DK DK98954101T patent/DK1133897T3/da active
  • 1998-11-24 WO PCT/CH1998/000502 patent/WO1999009799A2/de active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-11-24 CA CA2352346A patent/CA2352346C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-07-06 US US09/610,284 patent/US7286678B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-09-21 US US11/859,182 patent/US8027496B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

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